Non-asians will never understand Asian martial arts.

....or should I say at least 80% of them. Read this thread and you'll understand.

I am a Chinese, from Hong Kong. I read a lot of stuff that people post on here, man I can't believe how un-informed a lot of people are. And I don't blame you.

I see Americans practicing "Chi" and try to knock someone out without touching them (I am sure you all saw the news video). I see people view Iron Palm as if it is some kind of "magic death touch".

Coming from a Chinese guy, no wonder the Chinese art looks like a joke to most westen people. Its like a Chinese guy that practice westen boxing wrongly, he goes to china to show his Chinese friends, and they all thought westen boxing sucks. And a real American boxer would shake his head.....

In this thread, I will TELL you why every Chinese person is shaking their head reading this site. Because you people JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND!

About "Chi":

People in China KNOWS a lot of Chi teachings are scams. We know that. But that doesn't mean the art of breathing in relation to power is not scientific. Even if you lift weights, if your breathing is incorrect, you won't have power and the weights would drop on you (yeah, try sucking in air while you push, not going to work). People that bench knows what I am talking about. But if you go to 24Hour Fittness and the scammer trainer tells you if you lift weights breathing correctly, you can master the "Death Touch". Go to any gym and people would laugh.

But just because some scammer at 24Hour Fittness tells you that, you think, "Na, breathing is not important", then watch the weights drop on you. Know what I am talking about? In any sport, breathing = power.

Thats how the Chinese view the white man when they practice Martial art wrongly thinking it is some kind of magic. And the public goes, "The asian art is a joke". Well thats because it was misrepresented.

About Iron Palm:

Its no magic. Chop your hands in sand 1,000 times a day, trust me the amount of power coming from it can not be under-estimated. Just like a boxer punching a boxing bag 1,000 times a day, BAREHANDS. Tell me he won't knock you out in a barefist fight?

If your art is open hands (eye pokes, hand chops), you won't poke your hands into a punching bag right? So what are you doing to do?? Stick it in SAND!!! Its all about the conditioning!!! Do it 1,000 times a day, your fingers will be so hard, rough and strong you'd poke through unopened soda cans.

(Sands are for beginners. Masters practice on small rocks.)

People ask, how is that going to deliver in actual combat?? Well if you can land a punch, I don't see how you can't land a poke in the eyes. Only difference is, one is closed fist, one is open hand. One practice on punching bags, one practice on sand.

All these talk about "Chi" flowing into you after being hit by an Iron Palm is all BS by the white man. You won't feel Chi in your body after being hit by a boxer's punch, why would you feel any chi after an open hand chop??

Just like most imports, America has to ruin it.

And the thing about the healing massage oil call "Di Da Jou", its no secret man! Just a $3 chinese medicine you can buy in Chinatown!! There is nothing magical about it!!

About Wing Chun:

People hate Wing Chun in the board, as I've read the last two days. My question is, have anyone of you actually travelled to China before??

Before you learn the art, learn the freaking culture!

Of couse Wing Chun works!! Do you know how crowded China is?? Go to any dance club, or just a street market, you'll be bumping shoulders to shoulders with at least 100 people around you. If you go to Hong Kong, and ride in one of their MTR trains, you'll know how freaking crowded China is. There is 100% NO WAY you can use MT kick boxing in a place like that. I am talking about 1/5 of the world's population!!!

Try doing a round house kick in THIS??? BJJ works, but do you think there is room to fall to the ground living in places like this? I've actually seen a women felt asleep standing in the train and NOT fall to the ground, it was THAT crowded.

Now you know why Wing Chun is so popular in Hong Kong?? Different place, different needs. Does it work? Hell yeah.

True story. My uncle is a WC student in Hong Kong. During a trip in China, a guy on the train used a knife to cut open his wife's purse and stole her wallet (they do that a lot), sharp ass knife. My uncle saw it, with at least 100 standing shoulder to shoulder on that train, there was no room for roundhouse kicks or anything like that. Guess what he did?? The Wing Chun chain punch, landed everyone of it on the guy's nose. Dropped his knife too.

Did he get the wallet back? No. Because the thefts worked in groups. He passed the wallet to his partner, the partner ran off the train while other members block the exist door. Well at least he punched the guy a few times.

This is not the only time he has to use the WC chain punch in China.

Now do you see why most Chinese art does not use wide shoulder movements when they punch?? Teachers are always telling students "Don't move your shoulders!!" as if there are things stopping you from using your shoulders? Well in China that would be 10,000 other people standing next to you, THATS what's stopping you.

The MAX you can get is 7 X 7 feet of fighting space. If your art requires you to fall to the ground or move around for a big round house kick..........sorry, the WC guys will kill you. Trust me you do NOT want to sit on the ground in China with 10,000 people walking around you.

And in situtations where you do have room to fight, then sure, other arts apply. But this doesn't make WC any less effective.

Well, if you know how POOR China is, you'll understand what balance is all about. Its all about "hard work" man.

Would a UFC fighter cross the river? I don't think so, why would he need to?

Would the farmer's art win the UFC fight? I don't think so, why would he need to when all he wanted was to cross the river to get to work?? Thats kung fu.

But then off couse, balance is important in stand up fighting too. You can't fight if you can't stand.

My Point is:

It is very pointless to criticize someone's art. It only show how little you know about martial arts, and culture in general.

Arts like BJJ originally came from Asia anyways. But a lot of people don't remember this because most UFC fighters are non-asian. Instead of watching UFC, why not do some research or travel to asia maybe you'll open up your minds a little bit about the whole idea of Asian martial arts.

Also, if you know the Chinese culture, you'll know Chinese people are actually very peaceful. They are not aggressive (in general). But they do need face.

A person that wins a fight with martial arts is a strong figther. But a person that over come conflicts with martial arts is a leaders among the strong fighters.

Aggression against aggression leads to conflicts.

A person with a defensive mind will avoid aggression, tuning down the conflict is the REAL winner in a battle. Remember how in a movie, Bruce Lee told a guy to get on a boat and they'll fight? But instead, after the guy got on the boat, he waved him Good Bye??

The same can apply to Bush's war. Did we gain from it? Or did we lose from it? When was the last time China started a war?? Know the culture, and you'll know the martial art behind it.

A lot of you Amercian guys out there with UFC minds will never understand the true meaning behind the culture. A country that have fought over 5000 years of war, they are VERY tired.

Why doesn't Kung Fu enter UFC? Maybe they can't win. And yes, a lot of them won't win. But if these kind of fighting is all you Americans see in martial arts, then your life will be very unhappy and never satisfied, and yes, the Chinese art is not for you.

Just look at the families that are trying to cross the river on a freaking ROPE and tell me they'd have time to invent an art that works in UFC?? They don't!!!

The art they'd invent is an art that'd stop thefts from stealing their rice while their babies cry in hunger. THATS that art these people invented.

You want to know about the importance of Chi?? Try not eating for 3 days and see if you have power to move your big muscles??? Then suck in your air and try to get the very last drop of power coming from your empty stomach, THATS THE ART OF "Chi"!!! And THAT is the art these these people have invented.

Learn the culture. Learn the history. Learn the people. Then you'll master the art.

You forgot to mention the fact that WC works in China because people are born knowing how to fight in the Martial Arts. Its freaking genetic. If you don't know how to focus your chi properly by age 3, you are left on a hill to die. Its a total fact and I know cause I saw it on the interweb written by some guy named Chi Pai.

It is very pointless to criticize someone's art. It only show how much you know about martial arts, and culture in general.

Criticism is there to make things better.

Originally Posted by ClA

Arts like BJJ originally came from Asia anyways. But a lot of people don't remember this because most UFC fighters are non-asian. Instead of watching UFC, why not do some research or travel to asia maybe you'll open up your minds a little bit about the whole idea of Asian martial arts.

Actually alot of the stuff that we base MA on now came from the ancient rmans and greeks. Pancration and wrestling

Originally Posted by ClA

Also, if you know the Chinese culture, you'll know Chinese people are actually very peaceful. They are not aggressive (in general). But they do need face.

That's a great way to sterotype your race. good job

Originally Posted by ClA

The same can apply to Bush's war. Did we gain from it? Or did we lose from it? When was the last time China started a war?? Know the culture, and you'll know the martial art behind it.

Uhhh.. Maybe the invasion of Tibet and holding a country hostage... I think they may have had a little to do with Korea too......

Originally Posted by ClA

A lot of you Amercian guys out there with UFC minds will never understand the true meaning behind the culture. A country that have fought over 5000 years of war, they are VERY tired.

Why doesn't Kung Fu enter UFC? Maybe they can't win. And yes, a lot of them won't win. But if these kind of fighting is all you Americans see in martial arts, then your life will be very unhappy and never satisfied, and yes, the Chinese art is not for you.

The simple answer is that it is not very practical for sport fighting and live situations.

Originally Posted by ClA

Just look at the families that are trying to cross the river on a freaking ROPE and tell me they'd have time to invent an art that works in UFC?? They don't!!!

The art they'd invent is an art that'd stop thefts from stealing their rice while their babies cry in hunger. THATS that art these people invented.

It sounds like they should be using GymKata then.

Originally Posted by ClA

You want to know about the importance of Chi?? Try not eating for 3 days and see if you have power to move your big muscles??? Then suck in your air and try to get the very last drop of power coming from your empty stomach, THATS THE ART OF "Chi"!!! And THAT is the art these these people have invented.

This is a silly statement, are you implying mind over matter?

Originally Posted by ClA

Learn the culture. Learn the history. Learn the people. Then you'll master the art.